Halloween Anxiety

Halloween is a strange holiday where fear is celebrated. Haunted houses, horror movies, and scary costumes are the key components that make the holiday what it is. Despite Halloween's ‘kid friendly’ attitude it can still bring up many difficult emotions for many, especially those who struggle with mental health conditions, especially anxiety. 

So why can Halloween trigger anxiety?

• The celebration of fear: So many Halloween activities are celebrations of fear, this can be very daunting for those who are already struggling with anxiety. The activities that make your heart race, shorten your breath, and make your mind race make an everyday internal struggle much more externalized.

• Unpredictability: Halloween activities are all based on the element of suspense, fear, and jump scares. For those dealing with anxiety this can be a big weight of not knowing what is coming next and carrying the stress of all of the ‘what-ifs’.

• Social pressure: With Halloween gatherings there is so much pressure on how others will perceive you. Thinking about holding small talk and finding the perfect costume that others approve of many times increases anxiety and stress levels.

How to combat the season.

• Confront fear: In some cases it can be good to have a healthy balance of fear. Know your limits but let yourself have opportunities to recognize that the jump scares in front of you are not things to truly fear. This can help calm other anxieties to realize that so many things do not need to be given the weight that we give them.. 

• Prioritize your health: During the Halloween season it is so important to keep up good eating, quality sleep, and positive exercise habits. Some quick tips are to keep your plate colorful, put away screens and let your brain slow down an hour before heading to bed (reading can be a great way to slow down), and move your body no matter the amount (parking farther away from the store, taking the stairs, walking the dog, etc.)

• Practice breathing: Deep breathing is such a great practice to help combat increased anxiety. One particular practice to have up your sleeve is box breathing. This is a simple technique that can help lower heart rate and calm the mind. It consists of 4x4 breathing. You breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds. This can be an incredible tool to use in any social situation to discreetly lower heart rate. 

Overall, during the season keep your own mental and physical health as your priority. It is ok to politely decline plans, it is ok to go home early, and even have your own fun cozying up on the couch watching movies instead of out and about. Stay safe and have a fun Halloween season.